They would get the invalid up the outside staircase that there often is in Eastern houses, and would get on to the roof! So they carried the poor sick man carefully up the staircase, and when they had uncovered a place in the roof, they let down his bed right through the ceiling to the feet of Jesus. Ah! what do you think the dear Lord said then? When He saw their faith—the faith of those men who had brought the sick man to Jesus—He said to the poor trembling invalid, "Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee!" And then when the people wondered very much at Jesus being able to forgive sins, He showed them His great power, by making the sick man quite well the very next moment. He asked the people which was the easiest for God to do, to forgive sins, or to make people well in an instant? Then He said to the man, sick of the palsy, "Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house." Jesus made him so well that though he had to be carried there on a bed, he received strength to obey, and walked back to his home, carrying his bed in his arms! This wonderful story of one of the miracles of Jesus helps us to understand three things: first, the great power of Jesus; and next, that we should bring our friends to Jesus, to get blessed; and third, that we should let no difficulties stop us in coming to Him. He is in heaven now, but He is always close to us, and we can speak to Him at any moment; and no difficulty, however great it seems to us, is beyond His power to overcome. XIV. "ASK—SEEK—KNOCK!" [LUKE 11.5] THESE words are a wonderful encouragement, and a wonderful promise. As our Lord Jesus looked into the anxious faces of the multitude round Him, He revealed to them some of the deepest needs of our hearts. His words are very simple, and the youngest child can understand a little about them. "Ask," He says. Do you not know how the tiny child asks his mother for what he wants? And how the little girl runs to her father, and says, "May I have it?" So when we remember how full of love God is, we can go to Him at any moment, and tell Him what we need. It may be forgiveness; or it may be help in some trouble; or comfort in some disappointment; or ease in some bad pain. Yes, He says, "Ask!" And when God says, "Seek" and "Knock," He expects you to be looking for an answer. He does not always answer at once; He waits to see if we are in earnest in what we are asking. He says, "Men ought always to pray and not to faint." Our Lord Jesus tells us a beautiful little story about knocking and asking, in the 11th of Luke, verse 5. "And He said unto them, which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say unto him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves: for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'" "And he from within shall answer and say, 'Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.'" [Illustration]